This invention relates to games played over a wide area network, and more particularly to allowing prize redemption and management for networked games.
Traditional gaming environments have conventionally been restricted to bars, arcades, homes, and other public and private establishments. Outside such gaming environments, players have been commonly restricted to playing board games, local computer games, TV-supported video games, etc. However, with the widespread use of standardized large-scale wide area networks such as the Internet and World Wide Web in recent years, players of video and computer games at home are offered an environment to access numerous games and compete with each other. A player can connect a home computer, video game console, set top box, or other device to the Internet using telephone lines, cable TV lines, or other connections to the home. The player can thus play games offered to the player from a remote server or other source. The player can also compete or otherwise interact in a game with hundreds or even thousands of other players who are also connected to the Internet.
However, although a wide array of options are available for home game players, players typically cannot play games from home to receive prizes. Players may often desire to receive a prize after playing a game or participating in a tournament, but no standardized prize redemption system is provided to home players. Any administrator of such a prize redemption system faces problems when attempting to organize ticket winnings and offer prizes at ticket costs adjusted for a desired profitability.
One problem with the network games of the prior art is that maintaining a redemption system can be very involving for an entity which maintains a web site, to the point of being burdensome. For example, operators must maintain a system of prize tracking and delivery for a large pool of users. Requiring even greater maintenance is the setting and adjustment of prize credit costs or prices of the prizes. The operator must determine how many prize credits are awarded, on average, by each game on the network and then determine the price of each prize in terms of prize credits and in view of a desired profitability level.
There is thus a need for an effective system of enabling prize redemption with games which are distributed, executed, and managed over a wide area network.
The present invention provides a system for allowing redemption of prizes resulting from playing games on a plurality of networked game apparatuses. The system includes a plurality of game apparatuses each adapted for displaying a user interface for allowing a user to play a plurality of games. Also included is a prize database server adapted for connecting to the game apparatuses via a wide area network, i.e. the Internet. In use, the prize database server receives a user identification code from the game apparatuses that corresponds to the user. Also received is an indication of an outcome of the game upon the user playing the game via the corresponding user interface. The prize database server also tracks a number of prize credits awarded the user based on the outcome of the game in addition to allowing redemption of the prize credits for a prize.
In one embodiment, at least some of the game apparatuses include dedicated game units which are commonly used in combination with televisions for the sole purpose of playing various games. As an option, the dedicated game units each may include a modem to connect with the prize database server via the wide area network for communication purposes. In the alternative, the dedicated game units may each include a removable cartridge for being releasably received in a port connected to a computer which is in turn connectable with the prize database server via the wide area network for communication purposes. As such, the present invention may be used with any type of game apparatus by establishing connectivity over a wide area network such as the Internet or any other communication medium.
In another embodiment, at least some of the game apparatuses include desktop or laptop computers each having a modem to connect with the wide area network for communication purposes. As an option, the prize database server may be adapted to transmit data to the computers for updating a version of the games. Further, upon a loss of connection with the desktop or laptop computers, a predetermined number of prize credits may be awarded to the associated user. In yet another embodiment, the prize database server is adapted for displaying at least one prize redemption interface page to allow redemption of the prize credits. As an option, the user interface of the game apparatuses may include a link to the prize redemption interface page of the prize database server. Communication between the prize redemption database and the game apparatuses may also include transmitting an identifier of the prize to at least one of the game apparatuses for identifying a prize to the user. A similar type of identifier for a current number of prizes awarded the user may also be transmitted to the game apparatuses for identifying the current number of prizes awarded to the user.